Way back in the mid-1990s, there was a TV series that I truly adored. It was cool, ground-breaking, and gave teenage me an insight into a world I was only just beginning to realise existed. It was called This Life, and I still recommend the series to people to this day. One of the characters in that show was Nicki, a young single mum who runs the café where Egg (Andrew Lincoln) ends up working. She was one of the most earnest and endearing people in the show, and she was played by Juliet Cowan.

Ever since then, I have always considered her a positive addition to any show. When you see that her CV includes classics like Skins, Brassic, Shameless, and a fantastic turn as Vod’s mum in Fresh Meat, I am clearly not alone.

This show was pitched in the programme as her having unfinished business with stand-up after beating Jimmy Carr and Russell Howard in the 1999 final of So You Think You’re Funny? But it’s not really a stand-up performance; this is more comedy theatre.

Our clown explains that the title of this show is essentially her teenage self’s most common refrain when asked… well, pretty much anything! So this is almost a conversation between the angst-ridden younger Juliet and her current ‘soup-du-jour’ self (her preferred phrase for middle-aged).

The show takes us on an intriguing, meandering journey through nuclear attack warnings, curious relationship choices (the tale of her running off with a criminal could be a show all on its own), and the patriarchy as a construct rather than just simply ‘men’, all led by an actress clearly in cruise mode.

As with most comedy theatre, there are some awkward early moments with audience interaction, but on this particular night, they all pay off as she has clearly identified the right people to pull on stage for the big finale.

This is not the show for those looking for titbits into her TV career, which would have undoubtedly also delivered fascinating material. But if this was her shaking off the rust since ’99, then we are truly looking forward to seeing what she does next.

Clown Stars: * * *

@The Pleasance, Edinburgh